This top-shelf, free, destination-worthy cultural gem is on the 7th floor of the Alkek Library at…read moreTexas State in San Marcos. The Wittliff collects, preserves and shares Southwestern literary, photographic, and musical arts. Sounds stuffy as hell, right? Far from it! It's founder, Austinite Bill Witliff, was a screenwriter of the beloved miniseries Lonesome Dove, and this museum is home to the film's production archives, including props, costumes and other treasures. But that's only one of several collections. Witliff established the museum in 1986 with the encouragement and many gifts from author and folklorist J. Frank Dobie. Musicians and their fans will adore perusing private correspondence and journals, instruments, hats and so much more from people like Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jerry Jeff Walker, Willie Nelson, Ray Benson and on and on and on. It will take you a happy hour or more to acquaint yourself with its permanent and temporary collections. My favorite room was devoted to mind-blowing photography of native American people taken in the early 1900s by Edward Curtis. It hasn't been that long since they freely roamed and inhabited our wilderness and the beauty - and reality - of these captures took my breath away. If you are a rancher, a descendent of a rancher or even know a rancher, get yourself over there for an enlightened perspective on the lifestyles, struggles and beauty of the people who raise grazing animals. I figure the Witliff has about a dozen theme-specific rooms that are smartly curated and thoughtfully presented. HOT TIPS! - Parking is free on weekends in the Alkek parking lot. - Like all campuses, Texas State is not easy to get around... signage is downright absent or stupid. It doesn't help that hardly anyone at Texas State is aware of the Witliff Collection and can't point you to it. - As you exit the parking lot, make your way to the tallest building right above you. That's the library. Head to the 7th floor.

I attended a conference held by TSU and attendees were told about The Whitliff Collections, which…read morewas located in a nearby building. I used a few of my lunch hours during the conference to visit, but wish that I was able to spend the day browsing. There were many QR codes for videos online in one of the exhibitions and I wish that I had the time to see them all. My friend is a huge King of the Hill fan and was jealous that script archives were held with The Whitliff Collections. I would have asked to view them if I had more time to browse. Too bad they cannot be viewed online. Can't complain with a free museum. It was well kept!

I just have to take a moment to shout out Wonder Chamber Selfie Museum I had been here before with…read moremy daughter but when talking about the selfie museum a young lady close to my daughter has been going through a really difficult time. She's a high school senior currently experiencing homelessness, and her mom wasn't able to celebrate her birthday this year.. As someone who runs a nonprofit, I reached out to a few places hoping someone would be willing to help make her day special. When I say they were absolutely amazing, I mean that with my whole heart. They were kind, welcoming, and so accommodating. They helped create a beautiful space where she and her friends could celebrate, laugh, and just be young for a moment. And listen... it wasn't just pictures. It was joy, confidence, and memories. Watching these girls light up, feel beautiful, and enjoy themselves in such a fun, creative environment meant everything. You could literally see their spirits lift. Everybody deserves to feel special, especially on their birthday and especially a young woman pushing through life and still showing up and doing her best. Because of this experience, I will always support and recommend them. If you're looking for a place that brings fun, creativity, and positive energy, this is definitely a spot you should check out

I would say the pricing is steep for the experience. There are definitely some cute photo ops…read more However, it wasn't as interactive as I hoped. The diner was very cool but the juke box wasn't working. The candy room could use a bit more whimsy. I appreciate the vision but it could use some more pizazz. More embellishments, more interactive moments. Just needs more for the price.

Very knowledgeable docents, easily visible tracks, easy tour walk, beautiful native pollinator…read moregarden, recently repainted dinosaur statues, the mock dig site is soooo much fun for all. They also have indoor exhibits focused on indigenous peoples and the early German settlers. Gift shop has very family friendly prices that already include the tax

This is a small museum. The inside has two sections, one for Native American artifacts and one for…read morethe heritage of Texas. They don't take very long to see. The most interesting part of this museum is the dinosaur interior features two sections: one dedicated to Native American artifacts and another to. There is a covered area where you can see them. You can walk all the way around the exhibit but not go inside. There is a higher area where you can see them from above, but that's about it. Some statues are in dire need of refurbishing and painting. The bathrooms are out in the parking lot with no air, so it gets hot in there. Parking was ok as not many folks were there. The price was $7 per person. It was not totally worth it as an adult, but it is what it is.

This is such a cool little place to visit. The planes and the memorabilia are amazing. The little…read moregift shop could sure use an attendant, otherwise this was a fabulous gem.

This hidden gem museum is located at San Marcos Airport. We were greeted and welcomed as soon as we…read morewalked in. We had the pleasure of having a tour of the entire museum. We learned so much about Pearl Harbor and other wars. We were able to go inside an actual war plane (that still flys). So many artifacts were there. The museum is an ever large hanger with many planes inside and then there is an inside part and a gift shop with lots of cool things! Free of charge but they do accept donations!

If I could bottle the feeling of being a weird little kid who just wandered into something magical,…read moreMuseum of the Weird would be it. This place might honestly be my favorite spot I've ever visited. I love oddities, and they are surprisingly hard to find all together like this. Walking through here felt like running away to the circus in the best way. Every room has something that makes you stop and stare. Shrunken heads, two-headed specimens, medical oddities, freak show history, UFO lore, Movie props and replicas! and so much more. I appreciated that it felt more like a cabinet of curiosities than a haunted house vibe. The exhibits are thoughtfully laid out, and there's a genuine feeling of love for weird history here. It doesn't feel cheesy. You can take your time, read signs, and really soak it all in if you want, or just wander around wide eyed and delighted like me. If you're into oddities, curiosities, circus history, strange science, or just being a little weird inside, this place is an absolute must while you're downtown. I left smiling and already wanting to go back. Honestly, if this is your thing at all, you'll get it immediately. One small but important thing to note, especially for the rest of my disabled community: there is no bathroom on site. While they do let you leave and come back if needed, that still means stepping out and trying to find a restroom on a very busy downtown Austin street. It was honestly really stressful and upsetting for me. However...that didn't ruin the experience for me because I love it so much, but it's definitely something to be aware of and the only reason this lands at 4 stars instead of 5.

It is something to do when it's hot. The AC works except in the wax room. It smells awful!!!…read moreThey encourage you to take pics with King Kong which involves getting on knees and climbing up thru the hand. Well my dress had a dark brown wet stain on it as I stood up. Looked like poop -it wasn't but it sure looked like it. Bathroom out of order but they let me in and stain still there. So $25 for 2 to get in and I possibly ruined a brand new dress. Wasn't impressed at all by the place.

This MUSEUM is very interesting. The tour guide was incredibly friendly and thorough. It was such…read morean interesting experience and each exhibit was filled with history and art. They offer a variety of other things such as music classes and tutoring for elementary children. It's especially good for a school project!

Amazing venue for my 4 year old. He loves the choices with different play areas. He also likes to…read morego outside and loves the water and fishing. Only issue is parents have to pay the same amount as the kids which is ridiculous it should be half the cost since the parents are just there to watch the kids. Also I put back all the items my son plays with. Also one of the few businesses that does not provide any discounts for military personnel. Love the place but disgusted with the piece for parents to attend.

Paid $10 a person. Kids and adults are the same price which makes no sense. We came about 10am and…read moreit was nice for 5 minutes until the field trips arrived. The places was packed with loud, screaming children, running everywhere. It was extremely overwhelming. My 4yr and 2yr old were pushed and ran into multiple times. After 12:00 sometime the schools finally left and it was quiet again. We finally got to really explore the museum. I can't give it more stars because unfortunately our experience was overwhelming and stressful.

This museum is the most interactive and creative exhibit of technology, communication and flight…read moresimulating stations in Texas or of its type I've been to. You will find many examples that are one of a kind and from the most extensive collection I can imagine. This museum is constantly updated and growing.

We only found out this week that this museum existed. It was featured on the local news…read more It's only open to the public on Saturdays from 10:00am to 5:00 pm. The weekdays appear to be devoted to schools and workshops. The museum is free but donations are appreciated. There are tour guides to take you chronologically through the exhibits. The main themes of the exhibits are electricity and communication and how they came to be. You are taken from Morse code, ticker tape, western union, punch cards and old computers through one of the first cell phones invented in the mid-90s by a local man, who happens to be the same person who created this museum. Of course, the best is saved for last. Who doesn't love Tesla coils firing to the Star Wars theme, followed by Walk like an Egyptian? Sweet. Go there and enjoy. Donate generously. We need our kids to keep up with the rest of the world.

This a very cool spot! We took the kids out one afternoon and seeing all the different holes set…read moreup as different themes was very interesting. All the information was extremely educational to the kids. The museum inside was incredible. Seeing all the displays like a nazi flag next to a holocaust memorial showed just what hate can do. The kids were very interested in everything and reading about it all. Overall a wonderful experience in fun and education.

My family and I decided to go play mini golf at the Memorial minigolf and museum. We went on a…read moreMonday at around 2:00 pm. Luckily the weather was in the 70s which was really nice for a January day. We drove up and parked easily. We then went to pay the rate for 4 adults, got our clubs, chose our golf balls, and we were off. There were a few people there with families on the course but we basically had the course to ourselves. It was a course with a practice spot and then 18 holes to play. It was very informative and fun. There were stands at each hole with a set of photos and historical information. Plus the actual course had slight slopes, and a few fun obstacles. After golfing we went inside the small museum. There were several artifacts and some historical information to look at and read about. On a side note they have two bathrooms with soap and running water which is a positive. Overall it was a fun afternoon on a nice day. The mini golf course is fun and informative. The museum is small and interesting. If you like history and mini golf this would be a good place to visit and play on a nice day.